Java is one of the most popular programming languages in the world. Its wide range of use has led it to be one of the most sought-after languages by companies and individuals alike. Java has a wide range of applications, amongst which we will be discussing the top 10 in this article.
Why the Java Programming Language has become so Popular?
Java is popular because it can be used in numerous applications. It’s not just limited to web applications but can also be used for desktop applications and mobile apps in a simple and familiar coding style. This fact alone is quite important, because with Java, you don’t have to learn different languages for different platforms. It’s pretty close to an All-in-One solution.
Java is also an object-oriented programming (OOP) language that sits very well alongside other languages such as C++ and Python. This makes it easy to be picked up by even novice programmers, or those with some prior programming experience.
In addition to this, learning Java is easier than other languages due to the availability of a wide range of tutorials and user-friendly online Java compilers. Java comes with the integrated power of compiled languages combined with the flexibility of interpreted languages. This combination makes it a great choice for both big and small applications.
Another good point about Java, is that it’s constantly receiving newer updates and newer features. Java 9 and Java 10 are the latest upgrades to the Java programming language. These new updates have brought about a lot of changes to the standard features of Java, that make the programming experience better.
Top Applications of Java Programming Language
Here are ten important applications of Java Programming Language that you should know about:
1. Android Apps Development
Java for a long time has been the official recommended language for mobile app development for Android. Though has changed in recent times, with Kotlin replacing it, Java remains the most widely used language.
The main reasons behind Java’s popularity, is it’s cross-platform support, security and testing facilities, ease of use, scalability, powerful development tools and community support. The cross-platform support ensures that Java remains platform-independent and can run any mobile OS. Java apps also are pretty secure against any malware or external attacks, which is a great plus point.
2. Enterprise Applications of Java
An enterprise application is a large-scale software system, operating in a corporate environment. It’s purpose is not to cater to single individual, rather to satisfy the needs and requirements of an entire organization.
The Oracle Corporation themselves make a hefty claim that “about 97% of enterprise applications use Java for development of large-scale software”.
Of course, the reason for this industry-wide trust is Java’s robust features, scalability and security that we mentioned earlier. All this has resulted in large companies like Jabong, Google, Flipkart, Trivago, TripAdvisor, Spotify, Uber, Pinterest, eBay that use Java extensively.
3. Desktop Applications
While web-based applications are now replacing most Desktop applications, some popular desktop apps have been on the market for a long time. These include popular products such as Skype, Photoshop, etc., whose user interfaces have been written using Java language. There are also various games, banking software, etc. which are being built using Java.
Java has a wide variety of GUI libraries, that are being used and updated constantly. The latest flagship GUI library is JavaFX that is being promoted, and constantly updated with new JavaFX versions and features.
4. Network Applications
Java provides a rich set of APIs for network communications, the most important being java.net and java.io packages. These enable an application to open client sockets on specific ports to make requests over the internet, send or receive data, etc., easily via byte arrays or Strings. This makes it easy to build network-based applications which can be used by both desktop and web applications.
5. Web Applications
Web applications written using Java language can now run on several server-side technologies such as Spring, JSF or Struts, etc., enabling quick development of high-quality enterprise-level systems with better security and scalability. As such, these are often more reliable and secure than similar web applications written using other programming languages.
6. Big Data Applications
In order to handle the massive amounts of data being generated every day, there is a need for more powerful software with improved capabilities. Java can be used with Hadoop to parse through massive datasets without major issues, as it is one of the most widely used software for Big Data applications.
7. Embedded Applications
Embedded systems are small computers that are now being built into several devices to provide central control of various functions, such as self-winding wristwatches, solar-powered street lights, etc., without having to go through the hassle of maintaining them or requiring any human intervention.
Java Embedded is a special version of Java, that enables developers to build applications for embedded systems more easily.
8. Desktop Widgets
While Desktop Widgets are not as popular as they once were, they are still an important part of software development. Users can create an application with several widgets that provide quick updates on news, weather, etc., without needing any other application or even a web browser to access the required data. Desktop Widgets can be created using Java and integrated into a system or simple applications.
9. Hybrid Applications
Hybrid applications combine features of native and web-based apps, providing users with a better overall experience. They run as web apps largely but take advantage of certain device functions such as GPS or gyroscopes, etc., for better performance and user experience. These can be created using Java and other popular programming languages like Objective C etc.
10. Cloud-Based Applications
Java is also used in cloud-based applications to enable the fast development of scalable enterprise-class systems, which can be simply accessed anywhere using a browser. These are based on Java Server Faces (JSF) or Spring MVC frameworks and provide an elegant way to control various objects simultaneously without requiring any major changes or prior coding experience.
Conclusion
Let’s try and summarize within a single paragraph, everything we just discussed in this article.
Java is one the most popular programming languages used today, thanks to its wide range of applications and scalability. It’s used to build several applications across various domains such as mobile apps, embedded systems, desktop applications, rich internet applications, etc., and is constantly being improved by Oracle with the release of new versions.
